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Most filmmakers do their best to ignore bad reviews, but not David Lynch. His latest, Lost Highway, was slimed by so many critics, he's made the dissing part of the film's new promotional campaign.

A March 14 ad for Highway in The New York Times included negative reviews (''It's guaranteed to repel...'') alongside positive ones (''A film to see repeatedly...'') and urged moviegoers to make up their own minds. On the same day, a Los Angeles Times ad (right) boasted that Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert had given Lynch's latest ''Two thumbs down!''

What's with the bad-attitude advertising? ''The ads stemmed from a desire to take a controversial film and emphasize the controversy,'' says Bingham Ray, co-managing executive of October Films, which executed the ads -- both the brainchild of Lynch himself. ''We hoped to create a dialogue that would stir people's interest,'' adds Ray. Says Lynch: ''My rule of thumb is, What Siskel and Ebert like, I don't, and vice versa. They're getting too warm in those sweaters. It's affecting their thinking.''

V necks aside, the thumb guys applaud the campaign, which goes nationwide later this month. ''I've never seen anything like it,'' says Ebert. ''It's saying 'Our film is cooler than cool. We don't need to be mainstream.''' And it might be working. Adds the critic: ''I got lots of E-mail from people who said the ads made them want to see the movie even more.''


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Posted Mar 28, 1997 | Published in issue #372 Mar 28, 1997 | Order Article Reprints